guitar pedals and synths

[hagcel]

hey,

just wondering what concerns / modifications there should be with synths and guitar pedals.

i'm assuming synths output line level. does the input impedance need to be modded on the pedal? is it safe to run line level through a guitar pedal?

i've been using a deluxe electric mistress without problems. i'd also like to use a ada flanger, tc electronic hall of fame reverb, roger mayer voodoo vibe and some diy phasers, chorus, filters, delays.

i did try some diy fuzz pedals but those really didn't work at all.

ideally the pedals would be integrated on a mixer aux send.

thanks for any help!

[Jean-Rock]

What I understand is that you want to pass your synths into guitar pedal effects......(and than to an amp ??)

If you want to change a line signal to an instrument signal you need this box :

http://www.radialeng.com/r2011/xamp.php

...or maybe you can try to find what's inside the box ....and just DIY

Cheers !

[Jean-Rock]

You'll see how to build your own here : http://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/4085/how-to-build-diy-reamp/#schematic

Have fun !! 

[lincolnic]

To the best of my knowledge, synths don't output line level. That's why you can plug them into amps in the first place. I know plenty of keyboard players who use lots of pedals - I wouldn't worry about it.

[Jean-Rock]

I agree with you Lincolnic...for a rhode or a wurlitzer (E Pianos)....but for a synth, I don't know

[RobA]

Keyboards are usually at instrument level, which a guitar is too, but the levels aren't really the same and the impedance isn't either. So, it depends on the pedal and the synth. It's probably going to work most of the time. If it clips, then you most likely can get it to work by just turning down the master volume on the synth a bit. The fuzzes aren't going to work all that well for the same reason that active pickups don't play well with them.

One other thing though is that synths have a much wider frequency range and will have brighter timbres than some guitar effects are designed to work with.

[hagcel]

thanks for all the replies.

just to clarify after the synth runs through a flanger it doesn't go out to an amp, just back to the computer. so for now i think i'll just run with if it sounds good it works.

on my audio interface if i choose instrument level the synth is way too loud so i've been using line level.

good point on the frequencies. i'll make sure to listen for that.

i'm super excited to try a synth though a nautilus!

[hagcel]

well i'm happy to report that the nautilus sounds awesome with synths. as does the zero point sdx, DMM, as does the multiplex and the rub a dub. for reverb it sounds more realistic than the the tc hall of fame with synths.

deluxe electric mistress, and roger mayer voodoo vibe don't do a whole lot. i'm guessing its a freq issue. i was hoping the DEM would sound great on drums but nope. pretty subtle. i wonder how one would build / mod a flanger for drums? Same with phaser. very little effect. I love phaser on electronic sounds but don't really want to spend $200 on a moogerfooger phaser which i'd assume would handle the full freq range. although i guess $200 for a good phaser is fairly normal. modulation is my favorite and i was really hoping that all the money i've spent on mod effects would transfer to the synth / drum world but it looks like that's a no.

a tc electronic 2290 and roland space echo all sound sweet.

i have a byoc chorus which acts strange. more of a drive / distortion which is nice and subtle, more rounded edge sounding than clipped.

lowrider acts more as a distortion / bit crusher. i'm guessing the freq are out of range for the octave effects but it kills on drums (lofi) and really makes synths jump out in the mix.

i'm curious to run discreet drum or synth tracks through a clean tube amp to get a little saturation. i'm guessing i'd need that reamp or just turn the level way down. i have a 74 hiwatt and i'm really curious. i'm guessing i'm going to run into a problem with freq range. be it the amp or the cab.

edit to add:

i have an electric mistress 1C from 78 that self oscillates with guitar into a tube amp.

turns out it works great at line level! ha, who knew? way better than the DEM.

i tried my MB flangers. both the current lover and collosalus sound interesting. the current lover sounded best but the collosalus had some interesting sounds. both subtle.

the battery is dead in my 1A2 electric mistress which works properly with guitar. will be interesting to see if a properly (guitar) working EM works.

[RobA]

I'd think that the Stage Fright would be good with synths. You could socket the phase caps and fit the frequencies to the range that best suited the synth.

Part of what makes the MoogerFooger good for synths is the number of stages. Music From Outer Space does a DIY eight stage phase shifter that is designed for synths. That could be worth checking out too, although the power supply requirements are designed for the standard modular synth setup with bipolar 12V or 15V.

[lincolnic]

i'm curious to run discreet drum or synth tracks through a clean tube amp to get a little saturation. i'm guessing i'd need that reamp or just turn the level way down. i have a 74 hiwatt and i'm really curious. i'm guessing i'm going to run into a problem with freq range. be it the amp or the cab.

Yeah, you'll need a reamp for this. Synths will sound great, but in my experience drums tend to do better through a bass amp - you can put them through a guitar amp, but you'll miss out on some good low-frequency information. I have an old song where I ran the drums through an awesome old Ampeg B-15, if you're curious: http://minortechnicality.bandcamp.com/track/stasis